Perusing Issue 3 of Making Gifts Magazine, I was struck by a project to decorate a mirror using Stampbord pieces impressed with Alice in Wonderland designs. Although I didn't fancy making the whole project, it did inspire me to get some Alice in Wonderland rubber stamps and to try out Stampbord.
I got my Alice stamps from Stamp Attack Art Stamps: an unmounted A5 stamp plate with 17 individual designs. Now, I am a complete novice stamper. Although, I've got quite a few wooden rubber stamps and clear stamps, I've never used unmounted stamps and wasn't quite sure what to do with them. A quick Google later and I found this great video on YouTube. Having discovered that EZ Mount is the things to use, I duly ordered some from Ebay and stuck the whole plate to the very sticky side. I then cut out the images with sharp scissors, which was a bit tricky but as long as you don't cut into the images themselves, I figured it doesn't have to be so neat.
Once I'd mounted and cut out the stamps, I unpeeled the other surface of the EZ Mount, which then sticks to the acrylic blocks like a normal clear stamp. I tried out the various images on card first, experimented a bit with colouring in the pictures and then decided to stick with black and white.
It was then time to try the Stampbord (another Ebay purchase - I kind of use Ebay as a general craft store when I'm looking for something quite specific). I used a Momento ink pad as mentioned in the original magazine project. I wonder if I over-inked my stamps as some of the images seemed too heavy and a bit smudged?
However, I was happy enough with the Cheshire Cat and decided to use that on the front of my mini book, which I covered with a DCWV sheet from the Green Stack. I used spray adhesive to attach both the cardstock and the Stampbord (I got a telling off from hubby as I also got spray adhesive all over the coffee table. Top tip: cover the surface you're working on first!).
I put images of the Red Queen and the White Rabbit on the front and back inside covers. Alice herself is on the back cover and I stamped each page with a heart.
To make the notebook, I used my Bind It All. Now, you may have heard the manta, "I am not afraid of the sewing machine." I should add to that, "I am not afraid of the Bind It All". Except I am. I never used it all for along time after I'd bought it and even now I only make small books that you can punch by putting the covers and pages in the centre of the machine. I think there are two reasons for the fear:
1. If you use the official Zutter covers and pages, it's kind of pricey if you slip up
2. You usually have to punch after you've decorated the covers meaning you have to start over if it goes wrong
In the event, I ruined three covers because there was some problem with the punching channel.
Eventually, I got the thing bound with black wire and added a little key charm to make up for the sloppiness in the stamping. I love the Alice stamps but I'm not sure I got the best out of the Stampbord and I still fear my Bind It All. Maybe I need to read up on it some more...
All suggestions welcome
Melx
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